Means to convert soluble material into a viscous solution of the same



March 7, 1967 c. K. MYERS ET AL 3,367,793

MEANS TO CONVERT SOLUBLE MATERIAL INTO A VISCOUS SOLUTION OF THE SAME Filed Sept. 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR5 CAAUDE k. MYEES BY a /ey A. MYERS March 7, 1967 C MYERS ET AL 3,397,793

MEANS TO CONVERT SOLUBLE MATERIAL.INTO A VISCOUS SOLUTION OF THE SAME Filed Sept. 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS CAM/0E K. MYERS GARY A MYEQS' Bykgr United States Patent" 3,307,793 MEANS TO CONVERT SOLUBLE MATERIAL INTO A VISCOUS SGLUTION OF THE SAME Claude K. Myers, Bell, Calif., and. Gary A. Myers, Pico Rivera, Calif. (both of 8376 Salt Lake Ave., Bell, Calif. 90201.) i

Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 394,933 4 Claims. (Cl. 241-152) This invention relates to means for comminuting chunks,

blocks or pieces of soluble material and dissolving the,

resultant particles in a solvent to form a viscous solution that has a varietyqof use and is especially useful in the manufacture of contact cement or pressure-sensitive adhesives, An object of thepresent invention is to provide means of the character indicated for effecting a rapid conversion of such material.

Another-object of the invention is to provide means of the character indicated-that converts large pieces of soluble material such as rubber or plastic (nylon for example) in one continuous operation in a solvent-containing vessel to form a viscous solution of the material of said pieces.

- This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working posit-ion and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The above objects are realized in a device that is housed within a container which may be fed With relatively large pieces of the material capable of being dissolved, and which first cuts or breaks saidmaterial into smaller pieces that float in a solvent in said container, and then reduces said small pieces to small particle size. The latter comminutinlg means establishing a flow pattern that induces eflicient exposure of said particles to the solvent whereby the same rapidly dissolve in the solvent to provide a viscous material particularly useful in the manufacture of contact cement or pressure-sensitive adhesives.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawings. However, said drawings merely show, and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the means of the present invention housed within a container.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan sectional view as taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the means shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view as taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the present converting means designed for use in connection with containers from which the same may be separated.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the present converting means comprises a tank or container means 11 for guiding large chunks of soluble material M to the interior of said container, an electric motor or other suitable prime mover 12 mounted on top of the container, an output shaft 12a extending from said motor preferably vertically downward into and axially of the container, cutter means 13 on an intermediate portion of the shaft 12a and in position to cut into the chunks of material M as the same are fed by the guiding means 11 to cut or break said chunks into smaller pieces P that are in suspension in a solvent S filling the container 10 to a level preferably above the cutter means 13, and a comminuting device 14 located in the lower part of the tank to reduce the pieces P to particle size and to establish a circulation thereof "ice to speed solution of said particles in the solvent S. An outlet 15 is shown, the same being located to draw off the viscous contents resulting from such solution of the material M in the solvent.

The container 10 has no particular form, may vary in size according to the type of material being handled, and is preferably stationary on support members 20. The material M may comprise chunks, as shown, and of a size capable of being inserted into the container 10 through an opening 21. Said material may be any of the natural or synthetic rubbers, either in separate large pieces or packed in bales. Plastics, for instance nylon, may be handled in the container, as well as other soluble compositions. Of course, the solvent S that is supplied to the container is determined by the material that is to be dissolved. Neither the material nor solvent, per se, form part of the novelty of this invention.

The means 11 is provided for the purpose of guiding the chunks or bales of material M toward the means 13 for breaking up of said material into the smaller pieces P. Said means is here shown as a chute that extends at a downward angle from the opening 21 and is provided with a bottom 22 down which the chunks slide, and side guides 23 that hold the material in a direct path to the means 13.

The motor 12 and its output shaft 12.4 are generally conventional, the latter extending along the axial center of, the container and preferably engaged in a foot bearing 24 to hold the shaft steady during rotation thereof.

The cutter means 13 is here shown as two discs 25 and 26, each with edge teeth 27 that cut into and break off pieces P of the chunks of material M as the latter gravitationally slide down the chute 11. These pieces, of course, settle downwardly in the solvent S toward the bottom 28 of the container 10..

The comminutin-g device 14 is shown as a fixed tubular part 29 that is supported from the tank bottom 28 by legs 30 and is formed along its upper peripheral edge with a series of vertical shear edges or shoulders 31, and at least two rotary discs or blades 32 and 33 affixed to the shaft 12a. The blade 32 is provided with peripheral saw teeth 34 that extend generally radially in shear association with said stationary shear edges 31. The teeth 34- are arranged in groups around the periphery of the disc and, as seen in FIG. 3, each group of teeth 34 is disposed on a helical line with respect to the axis of shaft 12a. The disc 32 is so registered with the shear edges 31 as to bring the teeth 34 of each group of teeth into shear engagement with the entire length of such edges 31, as the disc 34 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 35 of FIG. 2.

It will be clear that as pieces P are caught between teeth 34 and shear edges 31, they will be reduced to small particle size, thereby exposing more surface, in the aggregate, to the solvent S.

The mentioned helical pitch of the groups of teeth 34 is given to the adjacent portions 36 of disc 32, said pitch being at such an angle, with respect to the direction of arrow 35, as to force the cornmin-uted particles downwardly, thereby establishing a pattern flow, as indicated by the arrows 37 of FIG. 3.

The disc 33 is also provided with teeth. These teeth 38 extend in an upward direction from the disc and are arranged in groups as before. Said teeth 38 further comminute the particles directed thereagainst from above. As best seen in FIG. 2, the groups of teeth 38 are disposed on vertical planes that are at such angles to the radii of tubular part 29 as to cause the faces 39 of said groups to force the material in the container in a direction away from the center thereof. Thus, the downward path suggested by the arrows 37 continues as an outward path suggested by the arrows 40. In this manner a vortex flow is established which brings the pieces P over the 3 top of the device 14 under a strong force that moves them through the device while they are being reduced to small particles that become quickly dissolved by the solvent S.

In the form of FIG. 5 the comminuting device 14 is carried by bars 41 from a mixer head 42 which is independently supported, and which embodies a motor or other means to drive the shaft 12a. This form of the present means may be inserted and removed from a container a by raising and lowering the head 42. The contents of container 10a may be poured otf in conventional ways not presently novel. In other respects, the device is substantially the same as the one above described.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular forms of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed I and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Means to comminute pieces of soluble material into particles thereof in the presence of a solvent in which said material is soluble, said means comprising:

(a) a stationary tubular member disposed on a vertical axis within the solvent and provided with vertical shear edges,

(b) and a blade rotational on said axis and having peripheral cutting teeth arranged in circumferential groups on helices pitched relative to said axis and in shearing engagement with said edges.

2. Means to comminute pieces of soluble material into particles thereof in the presence of a solvent in which said material is soluble, said means comprising:

(a) a stationary tubular member disposed on a vertical axis within the solvent and provided with vertical shear edges,

(b) and a blade rotational on said axis and having peripheral cutting teeth aranged in circumferential groups on helices pitched relative to said axis and in shearing engagement with said edges,

(c) the angle of said pitch, in relation to the direction of rotation of the blade, causing the portions of the blade adjacent the teeth to force a flow of solvent and particles in a downward direction within the tubular member.

3. Means to comminute pieces of soluble material into particles thereof in the presence of a solvent in which said material is soluble and to establish a circulatory flow of said solvent and the particles therein, said means comprising:

(a) a stationary tubular member disposed on a vertical axis within the solvent and provided with vertical shear edges,

(b) and a blade rotational on said axis and having peripheral cutting teeth arranged in circumferential groups on helices pitched relative to said axis and in shearing engagement with said edges,

(0) the angle of said pitch, in relation to the direction of rotation of the blade, causing the portions of the blade adjacent the teeth to force a flow of solvent and particles in a downward direction within the tubular member,

(d) and a second blade beneath the first mentioned blade provided with peripheral face portions disposed at angles to radii of said axis that force the downward flow above mentioned in a direction away from said axis.

4. Means according to claim 3 in which the face portions of the second disc are provided with upwardly directed particle comminuting teeth.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,909,334 10/1959 Nilsson et al. 24l-46 WILLIAM W. DYER, 111., Primary Examiner.

G. A. DOST, Assistant Examiner, 

1. MEANS TO COMMINUTE PIECES OF SOLUBLE MATERIAL INTO PARTICLES THEREOF IN THE PRESENCE OF A SOLVENT IN WHICH SAID MATERIAL IS SOLUBLE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING: (A) A STATIONARY TUBULAR MEMBER DISPOSED ON A VERTICAL AXIS WITHIN THE SOLVENT AND PROVIDED WITH VERTICAL SHEAR EDGES, (B) AND A BLADE ROTATIONAL ON SAID AXIS AND HAVING PERIPHERAL CUTTING TEETH ARRANGED IN CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROUPS ON HELICES PITCHED RELATIVE TO SAID AXIS AND IN SHEARING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID EDGES. 